This Is Just A Part I Portray
by MTrench92
Summary: This is just a story that came to mind one day. I really love Mariana Trench's music, and I think Josh Ramsay is awesome xD Its between him and a contest winner. Enjoy!
1. One Day

**Note: First off, I would like to say that everything that happens in this story is, to my knowledge, not real. Some of the characters, including the guys from Mariana's Trench, are real people but the events are fiction. I do not ****own**** any lyrics. I just really love the band, and this story idea came to mind and I thought it would be a good idea. Anyway, this is my first fan fic, but you don't have to be gentle. Tell me how you feel about it. Well, hope you enjoy it!**

"_If the points to never disappoint you, somebody's got to tell me what to do. I just wish you could have seen me when it came so easy_." Cadence had her eyes closed, tight, keeping out the light and focusing on the words of the song, blocking everything else out. She even tried to force-stop the hot tears from cascading from her eyes, but she should have known that wasn't going to work. It never did, not when she was as worked up as she was at the moment. All over something so…insignificant, which she told herself time and time again, when it happened every day. Like clockwork. She always told herself that just because her grandparents were insensitive jack ass's didn't mean that she had to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. But, like always, the words got to her, like they were meant to, and she ended up the same as always: up in her room, tears leaking out of her eyes at the waste of space that she was, and listening to her favorite music to try and make herself feel better.

And it was starting to work. As Josh Ramsay's lyrical voice filtered through her ears, a little smile came to her face and the tears started to slow. They didn't stop completely, but they did go from a flow to a trickle. The music that was Mariana's Trench had always had a way of making her happy at her low times. Probably because every song told a story of sorts, and she could always connect to their music in ways that she couldn't for most others. Like any other "trencher" that loved the band to the same degree that she did, she read and watched as many interviews and clips on you tube as she could. It still wasn't enough, seeing as how she was unlucky enough not to live in Canada. She simply couldn't wait till they started touring in the states.

Calmed down now after listening to one of her favorite songs, Perfect, she walked over to her dresser and took the head phones out of her ears, opting to put her iPod touch into the dock. As the music and sound filled her room, she looked at herself in the mirror.

Cadence had been trained by her guardians (she hated admitting, even to herself, that she was related to them) to loathe the face that she saw in the mirror, and though she tried not to, she still did. Practically speaking, it wasn't like she was a horrible sight to see. Her dark brown hair was always brushed, clean, and up in a pony tail most of the time. She was tall for a girl, hitting 5'8, and though she really couldn't say that she was skinny, it wasn't like she was fat either. She was just…proportionate with her size. But, as her grandparents liked to remind her every day, people her age didn't want to have friends that weren't thin and couldn't fit into size 2's of the newest trends. It was no wonder she didn't have any friends, they always liked to say. She always fought against the snide comments they made, but when you heard something all the time, day in and day out, you inevitably just started to believe it.

She refused to wear make up most of the time, not wanting to take the time in the morning to put something on that no one was going to notice anyway, opting instead to leave her chocolate brown eyes uncovered. Of course, wearing glasses like she did, it wasn't practical to put eye make up on anyway. She looked at her clothes critically, eyeing her skinny jeans with holes in the knee, and her Mariana's Trench band tee. Yea, she didn't fit in with a lot of her peers, but she didn't think that there was anything extremely wrong with what she looked like. Not until she got her dose of emotional abuse from her guardians every day.

Cadence sighed and walked back to her bed, flopping down on her stomach and just hiding her head in the pillows. She guessed her life wasn't so bad, when you thought about people that were actually homeless, or being physically abused, or starving to death. She had a roof over her head and a job at the local grocery store. She had graduated from high school last year, and when she had enough money and time saved, she would start community college. She turned over on her back and wiped the drying tears out from under her eyes. It was going to be dinner time soon, and she didn't want them questioning her on why her eyes were so red. She especially didn't want to see the barely veiled gleam of delight in their eyes.

As her favorite music filtered through her room, she still couldn't believe that she had entered the contest that MT had hosted a few weeks ago. She had seen the ad on a you tube video: they wanted everyone to enter videos on why they thought that they should be the lucky fan to get to hear part of the new album that they were working on, and whoever had the best video and/or explanation would get to come to the studio in Vancouver, meet them, and get a preview. Of course, she had made a video with her iPod, unable to stop herself. But, she already knew she wasn't going to win. Mariana's Trench was big in Canada, and they probably had _thousands_ of Canadian fans sending in tapes. Those people wouldn't have to travel very far, and the more she thought about it, the more she thought that her reasons had sounded lame and stupid. Better just to forget about it and think about more important things, like how she was going to get through another round of dinner with her guardians without ripping her hair out.

The only reason she was still living with her grandparents was because she didn't have enough money to get her own place yet. But in time, she would, and when she did, she would leave the only people who could take her in after her parents died. And she wouldn't look back.


	2. All I Want

A faint growling sound was the only thing that could be heard coming from the audio room, and when the sound reached his ears, a smirk came to Matt's face. He couldn't help it, the fact that Josh was _obviously_ in pain while having to watch all of those video entries could only brighten his own day. Deciding to add insult to injury, he swaggered down to the little room that Josh was in and he stood in the doorway, shaking his head and laughing slightly at the picture that Josh presented. He was slumped over in his rolly chair, hair all disheveled where he had obviously pulled at it in frustration, and his head was in his hands. **"You know Ramsay, your supposed to watching those videos. Not hiding from them," **Matt teased mercilessly.

Josh growled again, and mumbled **"Fuck you,"** which his hands kind of muffled, but it was still legible. Matt just laughed again and walked into the room, sitting down in another chair next to Josh's. **"Dude, I don't have any sympathy. You were the 'artsy' one who wanted to have a contest and have a fan get a preview. That was all you."**

Josh finally looked up, shooting daggers at his best friend of to many years to count with his pale blue eyes. **"I'll say it again Webb. Fuck you." **He moved his neck from side to side, getting the kinks out before steeling himself to watch another video. He had gotten through a fair amount of them since the contest had ended yesterday, but watching most of them, he just wanted to tear his hair out. The majority of them had been 15 year old girls gushing about how _hot _he was. And that was it. Nothing about the music or anything else. Just the looks, and how they were _dying_ to meet the band. Honestly, there was no originality at all. How the hell was he supposed to pick a winner out of all the gushing teenage girls? He had wanted some feeling in the videos, and all he was getting was bullshit. Matt coming in here and being a dick head wasn't helping at all.

He clicked the link to the next video, username **MTrench92. **_Oh, how original, _he thought snidely but immediately lost the attitude as the video started to play. First thing he noticed? This wasn't another one of those scene girls, with gratuitous amounts of eye make up and poofy hair. She also wasn't a minor, from what he could tell. Now, was her brain something more than mush?

He wasn't disappointed. A genuine smile came to his face as he listened to her video.

"_My name is Cadence Harris," she stated somewhat nervously, playing nervously with the end of her pony tail. She seemed to gain a bit of confidence, though, as she launched into her explanation. "I would like enter the contest because to be quite honest, your songs inspire me. At the lowest times, I like to just plug my iPod in and jam away to Masterpiece Theatre. It seems that at any time I need a song to relate to, I can always relate to yours. Your songs really ARE true masterpieces, in my mind. Masterpiece Theatre 1, 2, and 3? Pure works of genius. Most bands these days don't put that much work into something." She swallowed nervously, before letting a small smile come to her face. She reached out the screen went blank._

The giddiness that Josh was feeling at the moment would have been evident to anyone. Finally! A video without a little scene girl gushing about the looks and 'sexiness' of the band. This girl actually seemed like she _listened _to their music and felt it on the level that Josh always reached for. And he didn't know if it was his imagination, but when she said that she could relate to them, he had seen a hint of sadness in her eyes. Something he could definitely relate to. His mind was made up and he quickly hopped over to her you tube page. A sound of frustration came out of him though, when he saw where she lived. **"Just my luck!' **he fumed. **"I find the person with most unique video, the obvious winner, and the live in the States. Florida, no less!" **

Matt shrugged, unperturbed, and looked over at Josh. **"Well, send her a message and see if she'll pay for like half the ticket price or something. That, or find another winner. Whatever you want." **He shrugged and got up out of the chair, heading out to go play the new game machine that Josh had bought: old school Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.

Josh quickly pushed the new message button and typed out his response to her video.

_I, Josh Ramsay, would like to congratulate you on being the winner of the number one fan contest! Now, you live a bit farther out, so we would need you to pay half the ticket price to be flown to Canada. More details are listed on the contest page, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!_

Not really knowing what else to say he sent the message to her and sat back, rubbing at his eyes. Now, all he had to do was wait. He knew that Matt didn't understand the big drive to get somebody in here for a preview, but honestly, Josh really did want someone who was going to give an honest answer. If that person was only listening to the band because they thought they were all hot, well then the point was moot, wasn't it? He wanted an honest opinion of the music and, if he could get this Cadence girl up here, he was almost positive that he would get what he was searching for.


	3. Best Damn Thing

Cadence stared blankly at the message screen in front of her, unbelieving of what she was seeing. She had gotten an email sent to her iPod saying that she had a new message on you tube, and when she had seen that it was from Mariana Trench's you tube account, she had figured that it was one of those messages that they sent out to everyone that entered, saying how they appreciated the entry, but they weren't the winner. She vaguely had an interest in seeing who had the winning video, but when she had seen the message - _written by Josh Ramsay! - _she couldn't believe her eyes. A full two minutes later, she was still staring at the screen.

Her heart pounding in her chest, almost as if her chest bone was going to break and her heart was going to beat right out of her chest, Cadence finally believed what she was seeing. And then, well, she couldn't contain her excitement. **"Fuck yes!" **she squealed happily and jumped up off her bed, jumping around her sparse room and doing her happy dance. Yes, she looked ridiculous shaking her very curvaceous bottom and making her happy little noises, but she didn't care. Never in a million years had she ever thought that she would actually _win_ the Mariana's Trench contest. The fact that she did was astounding. Sure, she had to pay half the ticket price, what with her living so far away, but she didn't care! She had money saved up, and she would use some of that to do so. This was a chance of a lifetime for her, and she wasn't going to pass it up.

When she was able to calm down just a bit, not a lot, but enough to sit down without jumping up again, she quickly picked her lap top up and put in her lap, quickly typing a response back to Josh - one that she had to erase and rewrite a few times because she was so excited that she kept on messing up.

_Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me. I can certainly pay half of the ticket price, and as soon as I check out the sight, I'll plan on seeing you guys in a week or so._

It was so hard not to put a lot of exclamation points and smiley faces in her message, just to emphasize how fucking happy she was that she was actually getting the chance to do this. But, that would probably make her look like a fucking idiot and she didn't want to do that, not right after she had won the contest. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down again, and when she was able to breathe somewhat evenly, she clicked over to the contest page to get all the information of where she needed to be at what times. Time to buy her ticket!

**. . . . . . . . . . . **

A couple of hours later Josh got the notification on his Blackberry that he had a message on you tube, and if anybody had asked, he couldn't have explained the small thrill of excitement he got in his chest when he saw it was from the contest winner. Which was stupid, and he told himself it was just because he was happy to be having someone coming in who was going to give him a straight and true critique on the sneak preview they were giving of Haven't Had Enough. Shaking his head at himself, he stuck his Blackberry back into his pocket and looked up as he walked into the recording studio.

The sounds of **"You douche!" **and **"I'm so totally owning you right now bro!" **were what greeted him as he walked into the recording studio, and he couldn't help but grin and giggle a bit. No wonder they weren't making any money. Ever since he had imported that old arcade game that was old school Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, most of the time they were battling on that old game and not recording the music like they should have been. Oh well.

He walked into the back room to see Matt and Ian furiously battling each other, Ian grumbling as he started to slowly but surely lose to Matt. **"Dude, that is cheap! How the hell are you beating me right now?"**

"**That, my dear friend, is because you chose to be the fat fuck. How are you supposed to win with that guy against Ryu? Not possible." **Josh sidled up to his friends, quickly taking in the score and just shaking his head. **"Really? Really with this? That is pathetic Ian."**

Ian shot him a dirty look quickly before looking back at the screen. **"Josh, how many times have I kicked your ass with Blanka before? If I'm remembering correctly, it's been a lot. So why don't you kindly shut the fuck up? Please and thanks."**


	4. Meet You There

_**~1 Week Later~**_

"_There's no way in hell that you are going!" her grandmother practically screamed at her, and Cadence had to fight the urge to throw her hands up over her ears to block out the sound. She had known that they were going to react this way, and usually, being the scared little mouse that she was, she would have buckled to their demands and just moved on, not even fighting it. But, this time, she didn't allow herself to buckle. This was to important to her, and though it may have sounded stupid to anyone else, it wasn't stupid to her. She was finally going to stand up for herself. "I don't care what you say! I'm going, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." She turned to go up the stairs and start packing her stuff up to go, but her grandfathers cold hearted voice stopped her. "If you go on this trip, you won't have a home to come to." Cadence stopped for a moment, that causing her to pause, but ultimately did nothing to sway her decision. "This was never a home in the first place." With that, she made her way up the stairs and didn't look back at them._

Cadence stood in the Vancouver airport, her eyes wide and taking in all the sights around her. Her heart was pounding in her chest, something it had been doing since she had even stepped onto the plane. She had never ridden on one in her life, and she was almost positive that she was going to have heart attack during the whole 8 hours. But surprisingly, she hadn't, and she was actually fine. She had lived, and at the moment, she couldn't believe that she was standing in Vancouver, about to go meet her favorite band. This was something that she never would have dreamed would have happened, and now that it was, she wasn't sure what to think.

Sure, she wasn't going to have a place to stay when she got home, but at the moment, she wasn't letting those thoughts enter her mind. The only thing that she was thinking about was the fact that she was finally going to be able to make a dream come true. It was March, so it was just now starting to get hotter, but she still had on her favorite pair of skinny jeans. Black, because she thought they looked the best. She had donned her favorite MT t-shirts and had her soft purple jacket over top of it. She had but a pit of black eye liner on, but not a lot because it had just not felt right to her.

The contest page had said that somebody was going to be waiting at the airport for her, and she looked around nervously, wondering if she was going to get stuck in this airport. But, surprising to her, she saw Brett (someone she would recognize from anywhere) standing at the doors, holding a sign saying "Cadence Harris" on it. He had his customary "No Josh Club" t-shirt on and she couldn't help but laugh slightly, if nervously, as she walked up to him. **"I'm Cadence" **she said, and had to clear her throat and make sure she talked loud enough. She had a bad bout of mumbling when she was nervous.

Brett gave her an easy smile and held out a hand for her to shake. **"Hi, I'm Brett, but from the look on you face I'm guessing you already know that."** Cadence just nodded her head, and with that he put a hand on her arm lightly to steer her through the crowds at the air port and to the parking lot. **"So, first off, congratulations on being the contest winner! We were surprised I was somebody from the states, and so far south no less. But, we are happy to have you all the same. Are you excited about meeting MT?"**

Brett was acting so easy with her, and the more time that she spent in his company, the more confidence that she seemed to gain. **"Oh yes, I am. I'm sure it would seem stupid to you guys, but they are literally my favorite band, and the fact that I actually won the contest and am able to meet them is simply…astounding."**

She only had one bag, since she was only staying for one night, so the baggage check out didn't take long at all. When they walked out and got into his car, Brett turned to her. **"I figured that we will get you over to the hotel first so that you can drop your stuff off, and then we'll take you over to the recording studio. Sound good?" **Cadence couldn't help but nod her head vigorously and Brett laughed quietly. **"Well, you certainly have the enthusiasm that Josh is looking for. That's a good thing."**

At that name, the reality set in again and the nervousness came back. Cadence couldn't help it, this was just such a big deal for her, and she was so afraid she was going to screw it up. She was under no delusions. She knew that at most she would probably get to spend two hours with them at most, and then they would go on with what they were doing. Tonight, after everything, she planned on sight seeing a little, and tomorrow at noon she had to catch her flight. It all seemed so rushed to her, but she promised herself that she would come back to this city when she could. It was just so beautiful.


	5. Alive Again

Cadence didn't get to stay at the hotel very long - but it wasn't like she wanted to anyways. The guys had a lot of stuff to get to today, so the only thing she had time to do was drop her bags off and then they were off for the record studio. Really, the hotel was quite beautiful that the company had put her up in.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the recording studio, she kept on telling herself to calm down, and for god sakes, _don't hyperventilate. _That really wouldn't make a good impression, especially because she didn't want to come off as a psycho to these guys. Some crazy fan girl. Which, yes, if she was being tortured then she would admit that yes, she thought that Josh was insanely attractive, but honestly, that had nothing to do with the reason for why she listened to their music. He could be a complete clown and ugly as sin, and she would still listen to the music. She loved it so much, the lyrics speaking to her like nothing else ever could.

Brett showed her into the studio and settled her into a room that had some extra instruments lying around. **"I'm going to go get the boys, and then we'll get to the fun part of this whole thing ok?" **With that he walked out and left her in the room, and she took an interested look around her. Music had always interested and frustrated her because she had never been good at it. She had written lyrics, though they really couldn't be called _lyrics _per say, but as for instruments?…Not so much. She had tried teaching herself guitar, and she knew a few chords but that was about it. As for piano, she could play a few of her favorite songs, including Beside You, but when it came to writing her own music she just failed completely.

She didn't turn the piano on mostly because she didn't want to get in trouble for doing something stupid but she did take her iPod out and turn it on, putting on "I'll Be In The Sky" by B.o.B. , one of the few songs she knew how to play, and mocked the chords along with the song, singing softly along with the song. Another one that she would listen to when she was feeling low or just needed a pick me up. **"I'll be in the sky. I'll be there. Oh alright. I'll be in the sky. I'll be there. Oh alright. I'll be in the sky. I'll be in the sky. I'll be in the sky. Remember me when I leave. That the one in the mirror ain't me."** She was so caught up in singing along softly with the song and mocking the chords on the piano that she didn't hear the door open.

Josh, along with Mike, Ian, and Matt all stood in the doorway, expressions of bemusement on their faces as they watched her play along with the song silently. _She doesn't have that bad of a voice _Josh thought silently before quietly walking into the room. This was to good of a situation to pass up, so he started to sing along with the song. **"I was a man with no name. Now I am tripping in more fame. But all the singles ain't gonna matter when I die, say goodbye, so long." **

Cadence couldn't stop the reaction she had even if she had tried.

She jerked back when she heard Josh's trilling voice, knocking her iPod over onto the floor. Her heart went to her chest and she turned around to see Josh laughing, and the rest of the band with smiles on their face. She didn't quite know what to do right then, seeing as how she had gotten caught making a fool of herself and touching their equipment. They didn't look to pissed, but she still couldn't stop the blush from coming on to her face. She reached down slowly to pick her iPod up and stop the music before forcing herself to say something quite awkwardly. **"I'm sorry for-"**

Josh just held up a hand, cutting her off, before giving her one of his smirks. **"There is no need to apologize, really."** He ran his fingertips through his blue fringe, and his tongue ring shone in the light as he talked. **"**_**I**_** should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have scared you like that, but I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity. You understand?" **Cadence couldn't believe that this was how her meeting with them was going to start, but she picked up the rhythm of the conversation easily and smiled a little, nodding. **"Yea, I totally understand. You got me good."**

Matt finally stepped into the room, Ian and Mike following him. **"Do you know how to play piano?" **Cadence started to nod, but then back tracked and shrugged. **"I know a few chords here and there from a few songs, and there are about ten songs that I can play all the way through, that song included." **A considering look came to Matt's face, and he walked forwards and turned the keyboard on. **"Want to show us a little bit?"**

Cadence paled when he said that and she started to babble, something she was known to do when she was nervous and/or excited. **"I d-don't know, I'm really-not-that-good-and" **Matt cut her off by holding up a hand and the smirk was back on his face. **"Don't worry, if you don't want to that's fine." **Josh had actually been kind of hoping that she would play something, just so he could see how good she was, but he something else had already caught his attention. If she had a song by B.o.B. on her iPod, yet Mariana's Trench was her favorite band (two totally different genres) then what other kinds of music did she like? He had a grey hoodie on, the hood pulled up over his face, and it fell back when he walked over to her. **"Do you mind?" **he asked, pointing to her iPod.

She could hardly speak for a moment. Here was the voice of her dreams, and he was standing next to her, asking her for her iPod. Surprisingly, she looked quite calm on the outside and she nodded, pulling it out of the back pocket of her jeans and handing it over to him. He smirked when he had it in his hands and went immediately to her songs, flipping through. He stopped the slide and his eyes widened slightly, and he chuckled softly. He looked up and his blue eyes met hers. **"Well, you certainly have an eclectic taste in music, don't you?" **Before she had a chance to really respond, Josh walked over to the rest of the band and showed them what song he had stopped on. Grins lit all of their faces and Josh hit play. Instantly, the sound of "This Is How We Do" by 50 Cent and The Game resonated throughout the room. Cadence blushed slightly, knowing how weird it was that she had some pretty old hip hop on her iPod.

But nothing could have surprised her more then to watch with a slightly growing grin on her face as the boys started to dance around the room, doing there best impression of Gangster Rapper moves, singing along to the song in the harmonizing way that they did, and she just lost it after that. She started laughing, practically doubling over. **"Please," **she begged after a moment, gasping for breath. **"I can't take anymore."** She wiped a stray tear from her eye, and all the boys put mock scowls on their faces. Ian was the first one to speak up. **"Is it just me fellas, or is she making fun us?" **he asked mock haughtily and Josh nodded his head in turn, looking to give her a fake stink eye. **"Why I never!"** he said in his best southern belle voice and then fell into laughter along with the rest of the band. When Brett walked in, he took in the scene, with the music still playing, and just shook his head.

"**If you four are done being idiots now, I'm sure the lovely winner would like to get the show on the road, as they say." **


	6. Author's Note

**Author's Note: I would just like to thank both of you for adding my story to your favorites ****J**** I would also like to say that I really appreciate the review. I was kind of wondering if I should even continue the story, because no one was reading it. But thank you both, and with the added motivation, I'll try to get another chapter up after Christmas xD Thanks guys!**


	7. A Day To Remember

**AU: I want to apologize for the shortness of this chapter in advance, but I needed a way to get to the next part of the story, and this was the best way in my opinion. Anyway, enjoy xD**

Cadence sat very still in the rolly chair that they had provided, a very stunned expression on her face. She had just listened to their new single "Haven't Had Enough", which they were getting ready to release, and the only thing that she could think or say was "Wow. That was incredible." She looked over at the guys and gave them a genuine grin, her brown eyes twinkling. "I'm literally speechless. Everything I could think to say would sound redundant or cheesy, including that last statement. But that was so amazing!" Usually she was great with words, and she wished that she could find the right ones to articulate what that new song made her think. But since she couldn't, she would just have to settle with what had come to mind.

Josh released a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding in. His music was important to him, and the one reason that he had been so excited about this contest was that he would be able to get an honest reaction about their newest song. He hadn't realized, though, how nervous he was about the reaction. But when Cadence showed them a smile that could literally light up the room, his own signature grin came to his face and he shrugged his shoulders, putting off the front that it really didn't matter. But everyone knew that it did. **"Well, thank you. The boys and I worked pretty hard on this."**

Mike nodded his head in agreement and came forward, crossing his arms over his chest. **"Yea, we all did. So, you know, maybe we'll all actually **_**be **_**in the music videos" **he said with a laugh. Matt and Ian nodded their heads in agreement, muttering **"Yea, maybe just this once." **Josh widened his eyes in mock innocence and turned them on Cadence. **"Can you believe this? Their turning this around on me and acting like **_**I'm **_**the one who is doing the editing or has any say. Honestly, the only video that I had a lot to do with was Celebrity Status, and we were all in that equally." **The other three just rolled their eyes and Cadence couldn't help but laugh, wrapping her arms around herself. **"Yea, whatever you say Josh," **she said quietly with a small smile. Before he got a chance to reply, however, Brett entered the room again. **"Alright guys, enough monopolizing her time with the mediocre listen of your music. We have to get the press stuff done, and then it's on to other stuff."**

A stroke of sadness came over Cadence when she heard that, but she put a smile on her face and stood up, fiddling with the ends of her bright purple jacket. She turned to Ian, since he seemed the easiest for her to talk to out of the whole group. **"I don't have to pose for any pictures, do I?" **Ian gave her one of those 'I'm afraid its so' smiles and nodded. **"Yup, we need some pictures from this event for the website. Sorry." **Cadence sighed good naturedly, even though she was dreading this because she took HORRIBLE pictures, she squared her shoulders and nodded. **"Alright, let's get to this."** Matt laughed quietly at the look that she had on her face, like a soldier going into the trenches, and lead the way out of the room, Josh bringing up the rear with a considering look on his face.


	8. Fireflies

If there was one thing that Cadence hated more then anything else, it was probably taking pictures. Sure, there were a few things vying for first place, but taking pictures would probably always win on being the thing that she hated the most. See, there were three categories in her mind. People that were very photogenic and could look wonderful in pictures, people that could look quite decent in pictures, and then people that couldn't look good in a picture to save their life. That was her. She HATED taking pictures, simply for the fact that something was always off kilter. She could never smile on demand, like it seemed everyone else could, so when she had to smile in a picture, it always looked off kilter and…feral. Like she had just taken a bite out of something. It wasn't attractive at all, which was why she was dreading this so much.

But, she pushed on.

And, really, it wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. It still sucked, big time. Right away, they had to pose in a few shots of her holding the free stuff that she was getting for being the winner. That part was amazing. She got a t-shirt, a poster, and a voucher stating that she would get a copy of the album when it came out. That brought a real smile to her face and unbeknownst to her, the camera man snapped a picture of it. After that awkward phase, they were able to move on to the photos of the guys signing all the stuff for her, and that wasn't all that bad, mostly because they were cracking jokes the whole time and making her laugh - camera going the whole time. But she really didn't even notice it by that point, she was so blinded by her favorite band and the fact that girls like her never had stuff like this happen to them. It literally was a dream come true.

But, all to soon in her own opinion, the merriment came to end. A few times in the past fifteen minutes she had seen Brett give a sort of signal, like they had to wrap it up and get to whatever it was that they had to go do, but it was like the guys were kind of just ignoring him. Soon, Brett gave up with that and just spoke up. [b]"Alright guys. We have to leave, like 2 minutes ago if we want to get to that interview on time."[/b] All the guys kind of just nodded their head and stood up from their sitting positions, where they had been chatting with Cadence about her life. Of course, she didn't tell them about her parents, or the fact that she wasn't going to have a home when she got back. She just told them that she had graduated from high school and she was working so that she could go to college soon. [b]"Well, it was really nice talking to you,"[/b] Ian said with a smile, and when she stood up he leaned over and gave her a hug. Mike echoed that sentiment and gave her another hug. [b]"You know, if your ever in Vancouver again and we're not on tour, you should come and visit. Follow us on Twitter!"[/b] Matt gave her a cheesy thumbs up after saying that and hugged her as well.

Josh had been looking at her the whole time that everyone had been talking, and if he was being honest with himself, then he could admit that he was intrigued. Every time that they had wanted to talk about her family, she had responded with a genial platitude and had quickly changed the subject. It was almost a worry like expression that had come to her face every time, but she had quickly hid it. And there was no time now to try and talk to her because Brett was pushing them along. He almost didn't want to say goodbye, wanted to spend more time with her, but knew that wasn't really going to be possible. He gave her his signature smirk when she finally looked over at him and he leaned over and gave her a hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing gently, all the while Matt, Ian, and Mike looked on with similar all-knowing smiles. [b]"You know, Matt's right. Here, let me get your number and email."[/b] Nothing could have surprised Cadence more then when he asked for it, but she quickly got over the surprise and complied. All at once, the guys had all of their blackberries out and she couldn't help but grin at the picture that they created. She took out her iPod and got all of their numbers.

After that, they all filed out and the driver came over to help her get her stuff together and lead her out to the car that would take her back to her hotel. She stared out the window as they drove away from the studio, and all at once it all hit her everything that had happened to her that day. She really couldn't believe it, and actually pinched herself on the arm to see if it was real. She knew it was doubtful that she would ever actually hear from them, because they were rock stars; why would they waste their time emailing or calling an insignificant person as herself? But, just the fact that they had asked for the info would probably be enough fodder to keep her happy for some time. And she knew that she was going to need it, because nothing but unhappiness was waiting for her when she got back to the states.


	9. Awake And Alive

**AU: Don't apologize for your reviews! You could never review to much, trust me xD As for the story, I fully intend to finish it. This chapter is kind of short, but the next one should be amazing. Anyway, enjoy.**

A deep sleep. In Cadence's experience, that was where the dreams happened. Of course, in a psychology or medical class something different was probably taught. But for her, she knew that dreaming had to happen in deep sleep, because that was the only place that dreams as _weird_ as hers could occur. That certainly wasn't at the forefront of her mind. Only in the deep recesses of her mind would she actually dream of having some sort of friendship (dare she say relationship) with the boys of her favorite band, and _only_ in her dreams would that actually work.

'_Did I let you down, to get that sound? And break my knees to get real-'_

Cadence sat up in the hotel bed in a hurry, her heart pounding in her chest. She frantically looked over at the digital clock that was on the side table, and the time read 9:35. Wow, how had she fallen asleep so early? She was sure that it had something to do with the jet lag, but even more pressing then that little fact was that her phone was going off! She honestly didn't even know why she had that thing, because _nobody _ever called her. So honestly, why was it going off now? A bit more lucid and not freaking out as much as previously, she rifled through her bag until she found her phone, and the name that she saw on the tiny screen stunned her more then anything in her dream ever could have.

Why was Josh calling her at 9:30?

She realized dimly that she was just letting her phone ring, so not even thinking about it, she quickly hit the accept button. **"…Hello?"**

"**Hey there! And here I was thinking that you were just going to ignore the phone. I really couldn't blame you though, I am quite the anomaly."**

Still trying to accept the fact that he was actually calling her, Cadence pushed her bed head hair out of her face and grappled for something to say. **"Uh, no, I would never do that. Uhm, I had actually fallen asleep. Jet lag and all that I guess." **_Stop babbling you idiot! _**"Anyway, what's up?"** _Oh yea, smooth recovery. Not._

"**Oh, I seriously woke you up? I'm sorry about that, truly. But now that your up, I have a proposition for you. The boys and I just wrapped up all of our duties for the day and are going to go to Shenanigan's, a bar that we are known to frequent. Want to come along? And sorry to rush you, but I would make up your mind quickly because we are pulling into the driveway of your hotel as we speak."**

Hardly able to believe him, Cadence jumped out of the hotel bed, still wearing the same clothes she had while meeting them, and opened the curtains. Sure enough, she saw the headlights, and if she squinted, she saw the car light come on, and all of their faces had goofy smiles. Josh even waved at her, and she almost shyly waved back at him.

"**So, what do you say?"**

Cadence didn't even have to think about her reply. **"Give me ten minutes."** She hung up the phone and dropped it on her bed, hurrying over to her bag and rummaging around hurriedly, trying to find something to change into. She figured that her skinny jeans would be as good as anything for a bar, since she hadn't really brought any clothes for going out. She hadn't really planned on it, honestly. But, she did have a red tank top of sorts that clung to her skin, one she thought she at least looked decent in, and with her black hoodie over it, she figured it was as good as anything for a bar.

She got changed quickly, fixed her hair, threw some make up on, pulled on her shoes, and was out the door in ten minutes, just as promised. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she got into the back of their van and was face to face with them. There were no cameras this time, only the five of them, and for a moment, she couldn't believe that she had gotten herself into this situation. What the hell had she been thinking? None of this was scripted or fed to her, so she was going to have no idea of what to say!

"**Oooh, fancy. Pulling out all the stops, I see. Well, you'll never be prettier then me!"** This from Ian, and it caused a laugh/cough to come out of her mouth, and most of the anxiousness that she had been feeling was erased from her. **"You know, that was what I had in mind when I pulled this on, but my plans have been foiled! Blast!"** Every exchange always seemed so easy, and while it wasn't something that she was used to, she liked the feeling. A lot.


	10. Chapter 10

**AU: Hey guys! I am SO sorry for the delay! But, unexpectedly, I lost internet at my house. We're going through some financial problems, so it doesn't look like we will be having internet for a while. I am looking for another job, so I haven't had a lot of time to go to one of the places that has wifi and just sit for a while, but I promise, next week I'll try and get to McDonald's or something and write up the next chapter. This story is my baby, I really enjoy it, so please don't think I'm ditching you. Just give it another week, maybe two, and the next chapter will be up. Thank you so much for the support!**


	11. Please Just Follow Me

To say that Cadence had no experience with bars was an understatement. Back in the states, she hadn't gone out a lot, choosing instead to stay home and study. She avoided a lot of embarrassment that way, and her grades were fantastic because of it. So, all of her senses worked in tandem as she walked in to the bar, fondly termed Zero's, with the boys from Mariana's Trench. Very surprising to her was the fact that music from the states was pulsing out of the music system, P!nk at the moment. Vibing and bobbing her head to "Raise Your Glass", she walked up to the bar counter.

"**You have the look of an infant who is seeing moving objects for the first time."**

Cadence scowled at Josh in a mocking way and sat at an empty stool, Josh taking the one next to her. **"I wasn't going to say anything, but I didn't get out much, so no, I've never been to a bar before. Sue me."**

Josh held up his hands in mock surrender and gave her that signature grin, and she could swear that her heart rate kicked up a couple of notches. **"Alright, alright. You can put the claws away."** Most surprising to her was the fact that she seemed to be acclimating to this so well. She wasn't much for socializing either, but here she was out, with her favorite band, and she was able to be nonchalant, even able to joke around with them as if she had known them forever and they were old friends. It was still crazy to her that they actually wanted to be out with her, and it wasn't something that she understood, even now. But honestly?

She couldn't gather the feeling to care.

Cadence promised herself that she was going to enjoy this night, since she was going home tomorrow and she probably wasn't ever going to see them again. The bartender came up to them, a balding man with a paunch where his stomach should have been. **"What'll it be?" **Cadence realized vaguely that she was legal to drink in Canada, but alcohol had never been her favorite thing. She had gone to one party when she was in high school, and only after two beers she had been puking her brains out. So, she wisely went with **"A coke please." **Josh just shook his head and laughed. **"Your 19, right? Pitiful. Any person your age would be consuming as much alcohol as they could." **But he was teasing, of course. After the day he had put in, he asked for the best beer on tap and took a few healthy gulps. But before he got a chance to start talking to her again, Matt came up.

"**Dude, what are you doing up here? These chicks are ripe for the picking! You know that we are going to be out of here tomorrow, so get your ass on the dance floor and grab some tail bro!"**

Josh rolled his eyes as Matt walked away and flashed Cadence a smile. **"You know, out of all of us, he was always the one most likely to hook up. But don't tell him I said that. Now, the last thing I want is one of these females clawing at me, so, to protect myself and to keep Matt off of my back, would you care to dance with me?" **The second part of his reasoning wasn't really all that truthful. It WAS the truth that he didn't want one of these drunk chicks hanging all over him, but he honestly didn't care what Matt thought either way. Astonishing to him was the fact that he really did want to dance with Cadence, mostly because he was finding her more and more attractive the longer he was in her company. And that was a bad thing. He was a good 8 years older then her, and that was just distasteful. But he couldn't bring himself to rescind his invitation and he looked at her expectantly.

Did she look like an idiot? Well, she wasn't. **"Of course." **Now, she didn't know anything about dancing with a guy, but once they got out and it was obvious that it wasn't going to be anything serious or anything, Cadence relaxed again and she let herself just groove along with music like Josh was, pulling out the wackiest dance moves to try and outdo the other. Walking like an Egyptian was a good one by Josh, but ultimately, he couldn't beat her running man, and laughing like it was the funniest thing they had ever seen (and it kind of was, considering they were both terrible dancers) they went back to their drinks at the counter.

"**Well Josh, you don't have to feel so bad anymore. I think we have found someone that is just as terrible a dancer as you are." **This from Mike, a smirk on his face, and Cadence scowled at him. **"Dancing, especially in a bar, is not about expertise. It's about having fun, Mr. Ayley, so there." **She gave him a pointed look and Josh laughed, almost choking on his beer. **"Well, she told you didn't she?"**

By this point, all of the members were tipsy and working up to being drunk, except for Ian, who had drawn the short straw apparently and was the designated driver. He had allowed himself two beers, but figured he would only drink the one. He took a sip of his coke and took a seat next to Cadence when the others went back onto the dancer floor to have another dancing contest. **"So, can you say that, after meeting your favorite band, we're everything you had hoped we were going to be?" **Ian asked, his intelligent green eyes looking into hers.

Cadence didn't even have to think about it. She gave a him a smile and nodded. **"Absolutely." **


	12. So What

~1 Month Later~

The alarm clock on the bedside table next to her started beeping mindlessly, and Cadence groaned, reaching a hand over to slap it off. She tried to pull the blanket over head and forget that it had started going off and obnoxiously disturbed her sleep. But it was impossible to do so, not only because of her body waking up despite her protests, but because of what that clock signified. It was time to wake up and go to work, and as much as she detested it, she loved it as well.

Her eyes opened and blinked away the rest of the sleep, and Cadence sat up, wiping at her eyes. She looked around at her apartment, and she couldn't contain the smile that popped onto her face. Was it small and cramped? Did she not have a lot of money because most of what she made got funneled into bills? You betcha. But did that matter one ounce to her? Hell no. It was her own place, as small and cramped as it was, and she was out from her grandparents hold on her. Nothing was as important to her as that was. The last month was probably the toughest four weeks that she had ever gone through, struggling to pay her bills and keep a roof over her head. But she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Besides, when things got a little to hard to handle, she just thought about how much fun she had had in Canada, and honestly, it gave her some hope for the future. Oh, she knew that she was never going to hear from those guys again - getting away from her grandparents hadn't made her a complete moron. But, she was different now. Happier, ever since she had gotten back. Not so depressed. And, if nothing else, she had work to keep her occupied. And, with one look at the clock, she cursed. She'd better get up and get dressed, or she was going to be late, and the last thing she needed at this point was to lose her job as a receptionist at the nail salon down the road.

When her lunch break rolled around a couple of hours later, Cadence gratefully took it and took a seat on a bench on the other side of the building. She rarely brought any lunch with her, so she just rested her head against the back of the bench, the sun warming her uniform of khaki pants and a black collared shirt that said "Danny's" across the front, as that was the name emblazoned across the front of the building. She had her phone next to her, but mostly so that she could check the time and make sure that she wasn't late getting back into the building. But nothing could have surprised her more then when it actually [I]rang[/I], but more surprising then that, was probably the ring tone that was playing.

The first chorus of Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship belted out of her phone and caused her to sharply take in a breath, as that was the ring tone that she had assigned to Josh - or, if she remembered correctly, the song that he had assigned himself before they had dropped her off at the hotel over a month ago. He was the only one that had that ring tone, but what was equally surprising was the fact that she hadn't from them except an errant text from Mike to make sure she had gotten home alright.

She snatched her phone up and hit the green send button before she could over think it anymore. **"Hello?"** she asked a bit breathlessly and silently cursed herself. She just could hardly believe this was happening.

There was a slight chuckle on the other end of the phone, Josh's, and made a smile come to her face, despite her best efforts. **"Well then, if you'll let me and not get offended, I'd say that it sounds like we caught you in the middle of some very…fun activities. Would you like me to call back at a more convenient time?"**

Despite herself, Cadence laughed and sat back against the bench, completely relaxing. **"Oh, if only"** she said with a slightly breathy sigh and laughed again. **"Sadly, no. I'm actually at work. And if you don't mind me saying, this was a very nice surprise. But I can't help but wonder why your calling me right now when your probably up to your ears on working on the album and everything else that goes along with it."**

Back in Canada, Josh himself was wondering the same thing. It didn't make any sense for him to be taking time away from the Mortal Kombat machine and the laughter he could hear to be calling her. Thus, he had come up with justification in his own mind, and as it had sounded as good as any other excuse, and because he didn't want anymore weird looks from his band mates when it came to the subject of Cadence, he just smoothly transitioned. **"Well, funny you should say that. It's true, we are really busy, coupled by the fact that if we hadn't been I would have been calling to bug you and see when you were coming back for a visit." **He said this lightly, but was surprised by the ball of nerves that was in his stomach. He was [I]never[/I] nervous, so why was a fan that he hadn't even known existed a month and a half ago causing it to form inside him?

He really wasn't to keen on finding out.

"**Any who, I have an invitation for you, if you aren't sick of seeing our faces. We are going to be starting the filming for the music video for Haven't Had enough in about 2 weeks, and I was wondering if you might like to come back up and shoot the video with us. We'd pay for half of your ticket, this being so sudden and all." **What he failed to mention was that he was going to pay out of pocket, since no one else really knew he was doing this, but he didn't mention that part to her. No need to freak her out or anything.

Back on her end, Cadence was speechless. She had all but convinced herself that she was never going to see any of them again, and she was ok with that. She had accepted it. But then here Josh is, calling her out of the blue and inviting her back for the video. How, in the miserable reality that was her own, could something like this happen? Stuff like this wasn't supposed to happen. And she wouldn't deny, at least to herself, the kick in her heart that happened every time she heard his voice. **"Well, you really know how to twist a girls arm"** she finally said, wanting to break the silence, and was glad that a laugh could roll out of her easily enough. Considering.

"**How can I say no to that? I'd love to come back and see you guys, for sure. And I've never been in a music video, so it'll be an experience. Though, I hope you know I suck at pretty much anything that isn't academic in any way, so just be prepared for that."**

Josh was just so relieved that she had actually said yes that he didn't care about the why's. He was just happy she was coming back and he would get to see her again. **"Great! When I get a chance tonight, I'll text with when you need to be here and how all long and all that jazz. Now, play time is over for me. I'll talk you later, ok?"** He disconnected a second later, and Cadence wasn't afraid to admit to herself that she sat there for a full five minutes, just staring at her phone.


	13. Just Can't Get Enough

Ah, back in Canada again. Something she hadn't planned to do for quite some time. But here she was, walking from the airport to the car waiting for her outside. But, it wasn't Brett that was waiting for her this time, but as elation grew in her chest, it was Josh and the rest of the guys! They all had those goofy grins on their faces, and Cadence couldn't help her own coming to her face as she got into the back of the van with Mike and Ian. **"Hey guys! It's great to see you again. How is everyone?"**

"**Well…" **Mike started, and a grin came to his face. **"We were talking about our past shenanigans, and now we can't say" **Josh started laughing before Mike could finish **"…pomegranate without Josh giggling like a little girl." **Josh stopped long enough to be able to look over the seat and give Mike a glare. **"Hey, I certainly do not sound like a little girl! I'm the manliest man in this car, thank you very much!" **Finally, he allowed his eyes to fall on Cadence, something he hadn't allowed himself to do earlier because of the race of his heart in his chest. Something that was embarrassing and uncomfortable all at the same time. He didn't really want to delve into it to much, not with her sitting in the car and all, so he quickly put it out of his mind.

"**Alright, so we all wanted more time to catch up with you. But unfortunately, we really need to get up early tomorrow for the shoot, so we're just going to drop you off at the hotel, and be here early tomorrow to pick you up, ok?"**

Cadence had failed to factor in how early she was going to have to get up for this little shenanigan, but then, she was known to do such things, so she was shocked and a little perturbed when her phone went off at five am, waking her up. She stumbled around like a zombie, getting dressed. She was ready when they came to get her the next morning, and she didn't complain about it. Because honestly, who else would she want to do something like this with? No one.

That was the answer.

Still, though, it was hard to sit through the mini meeting that morning, combined with figuring out what the hell she was actually going to do _in_ the video, as it seemed they hadn't figured that out yet. All in all though, she was able to get through it and start out just fine.

But, with what they did first, she was sure that her heart was going to pound right out of her chest.

They started with Egypt, and they tried to convince her to get into one of the revealing outfits that the leading lady was in. But as much as she had dropped some weight, she wasn't about to get into something like that in front of these guys. She didn't have enough confidence for that. So, she ended up being one of the girls that fawned over Matt. Which wasn't really hard to do, considering what they all looked like in loin cloths. She didn't have feelings for them - well, Matt, Mike, or Ian, at least - but that didn't mean that she couldn't admire their physique, which was hidden most of the time.

They moved through the shoots quickly, as they didn't want this to take more then two days at most, and she moved from part of a Harem, to pirate, to 50's girl, to French, zombie, and finally to toy land, where she was one of the partiers. As tired as she was when it was all over, she wouldn't have traded it for anything. Because she'd had so much fun along the way. The four of them were probably the most hilarious group that she had ever hung out with, and that was made even more true the day after the shoot, when they picked her up to spend a couple of hours before she had to leave again and they had to get back on tour.

It was windy again, so she wore a pair of grey skinny jeans, a long sleeved green shirt, and her trusty purple plush jacket over it. Josh arched a brow at her from in the front seat when she buckled herself in, and that signature grin came to his face. **"So, you ready to hang with the big boys?" **he said in a mock deep tone. And really, she didn't even have to think about her response. **"Oh, you bet."**

**AUTHORS NOTE: I know this chapter is sort of short, but I'm using it as a bridge between Cadence and Josh sort of dancing around each other, and when they finally move forward in the relationship. So be prepared for some major action in the next chapter xD**


	14. I Spoke In Cautious Tones

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, thank you for that. I wasn't entirely sure how everyone liked the progression of the story. This one's going to be a long one, I think, and for everyone that's still reading along and liking what I'm coming up with, thank you ****J**** Hopefully, this lives up to what everyone had hoped for.**

Josh was really starting to make her nervous, and as much as Cadence was trying to keep it off of her face - this was probably going to be the last time that she hung out with them in quite some time - it was kind of hard not to freak out about it. They had decided that they were just going to spend the day in town and just walk around, finding random shit to do. Nothing sounded better to her, but then, as the day progressed, Josh just kept sending her these little looks. It was like he could laugh and joke around with everyone, but she guessed that when he thought she wasn't looking (and she was) he would send here these serious little faces, and he didn't look happy at all. It really didn't bode well for her, did it?

"**So, Cadence, your friends and family must think your pretty crazy for coming up to Canada twice now, huh?" **This coming from Ian, who gave her a kindly smile after he said it. Cadence couldn't help but really like Ian and connect with him in a bonded sort of a way, and she couldn't keep the smile out of her face. Or the reply that sort of just slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"**Yea, enough to kick me out for it."**

She absolutely froze, her face going dead white as she saw different looks of confusion go across all four of their faces as what she said seemed to sink in. The play of emotions ranged from confusion to absolute anger it seemed. Cadence seriously just wanted to face palm herself at the moment. She had been out of her parents house for almost two months now, and she had been so much happier. So why did it all of a sudden come out, at such an unlikely time as this? She didn't understand it, and she was about to make light of it but Josh, of all people, was the one that wouldn't let her.

"**Are you for real right now? You seriously got kicked out of your house for it?" **The joking Josh was gone, and he looked righteously pissed at the moment. She saw a sort of explosion happening, and she quickly tried to diffuse the situation, her voice starting to stutter. They were on a crowded street, heading to a two dollar theatre down the road that apparently had the best popcorn around. But she didn't think that was going to be happening now. **"Really, guys, it's not that big of a deal. You don't have to be upset! I work full time and I take care of myself, and it's REALLY a lot better for me then living with them." **But then, she realized, that made it worse. Because honestly, how bad did somebody have to be before you were glad that they had kicked you out?

Obviously, the same thought had occurred to the guys. Josh still looked like he was seething, so Mike was the one to speak up next. **"Why was it bad living with them?" **he asked quietly, his tone soothing and his eyes holding sympathy. It was simply to much for her to stand, really. For all those years, she had put up with her parents by herself. She had never complained to anybody else and she had just dealt with her own problems. But suddenly, she felt her eyes sort of going glassy and wet with him looking at her like that, and she quickly shook her head to get rid of that feeling. No, she was not going to get into it right now and ruin the whole mood! **"Really, guys, it's depressing and I really don't want to get into it right now, ok? Let's just go watch the movie."**

Cadence could really kick herself. Sure, they had decided not to argue with her and they had indeed gone to the movie, but it was obvious that the playful mood had been stabbed in the heart, and it was all her fault. Still, though, when they invited her back to their place to chill before she went back to the hotel before leaving for home tomorrow, she said yes without hesitation. They had showed her the Mortal Kombat game system, and actually won a few times against Ian and Matt. But her heart simply wasn't in it.

At the moment she was sitting at the counter sipping from a cup of water, watching Ian, Matt, and Mike battle at Halo on the Xbox 360, when Josh came up to her, his face totally serious. **"Hey, do you want to take a walk with me?" **There really was no arguing with him, was there? And the thought had never crossed her mind to actually say no. This was Josh Ramsay, musical genius and a man that she secretly pined for. She put her cup down and nodded once or twice. **"Sure."**

They were silent as Cadence stood up from the stool, grabbed her jacket from the stool next to her, and walked out of the house with a background music of the rest of the guys going wild over that game. They walked down the sidewalk, silence still blaring between them, until Josh lead her to a park that was about three blocks away. He took a seat on top of a green picnic table, and only after a moments hesitation, she did the same. The sun was slowly setting by this point, a romantic setting if there ever was one, but with how hard her heart was beating in her chest and how hard it was to breathe, it was hard for her to fully appreciate the sun. Not when she was waiting on pens and needles for Josh to speak. And he finally did.

"**You know, your going to think that I'm such a liar." **Cadence jerked up, looking at him with a questioning look in her eyes. **"No, seriously. I've decided that now, before I really don't have the time, I'm going to tell you something that's been curdling inside me ever since I saw your entry tape." **That certainly didn't sound good, did it? No, not at all, and now, with the tightness in her chest, she wondered if she was going to be able to at least NOT CRY until she got back to the safety of the hotel she was staying at. But most surprising to her was that when he started talking, it wasn't what she was expecting.

"**I think you should know that the main reason that I picked you as the winner of that contest a couple of months ago was because on your tape you didn't start gushing about how hot I was. It was irritating to realize that every person that entered was focused on the fact that we were rock stars. But not you." **At this point, taking a deep breath and hoping that this worked, Josh took her hand gently and covered it with his two. It was chilly outside, sure, but she was cold to the touch. He would have put his arm around her, but as he was pretty much admitting to being a stalker, he was holding off. Hoping that she would give him a chance to explain. **"You were obviously in it for the music, and nothing else, and that made me ecstatic. But, when you got here and we started to talk to you and get to know you…I realized that I actually **_**wanted **_**you to look at me." **He stopped, looking away for a moment at saying that out loud. Because he did he missed the look of pure astonishment on Cadence's face. There was no way that any of this could be happening.

Josh Ramsay was not interested in her. There had to be another explanation.

"**So, nobody knew that I was actually going to invite you back this time. In fact, I wasn't even supposed to give you any company money for the plane ticket, so I gave it out of pocket. I just wanted to see you again." **She hadn't said anything, and his heart was pounding quite quickly in his chest. What he was saying, it was madness, he knew that. What he was asking of her was madness, he knew that as well. But he knew that he had to do this one last act, or he was going to go totally insane. So he turned back to her and framed her face gently in his hands, his blue eyes searching her brown for a second or two, before the lids closed over them and he gently, ever so gently, laid his lips against hers.

Cadence was stuck for a moment, her mind malfunctioning and not being able to register what he was trying to say to her. And when he kissed her? Well, she shorted out. She didn't even think, her body just went on instinct. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, her heart double pounding before seeming to match its beat with his.


	15. All That I've Got

Cadence stared up at him, unsure of what the hell she was supposed to say to him after something like that. Really, what could she say? It wasn't like you were kissed by the music god of your dreams everyday, was it? And he didn't make it any easier with the way that he was looking at her; gently, but like he just wanted to kiss her again.

She wouldn't be surprised if she just stopped breathing all together.

"**Please say something. I'm dying over here." **Josh said a bit breathlessly, his blue eyes raking over her. He wouldn't be surprised if she thought him a total creep and never wanted to see him again. But he had to know if it was possible between them.

Cadence gulped audibly before answering him, finally. **"I don't know what to say Josh. You've been the voice in my head **_**for years, **_**it seems. Your music speaks to me in a way that nothing else ever has. And it wasn't until I met you that I realized that…" **she trailed off, not sure how to finish what she was going to say without coming off like a complete psycho path. So she did the only thing that she could to make him see, since she didn't have the words.

She kissed him.

There was a smirk on Mike's face as he drove their beat up old car towards the airport the next day. He had known it all along. He was such a bad ass! Josh was in the back seat with Ian and Cadence, but you would think that Josh and Cadence were the only ones back there with the way that they were acting. They were all cuddled up and making out, since they probably weren't going to see each other again for a while. But still, Mike had totally seen it coming.

They had walked in yesterday holding hands, and Ian, Matt, and Mike had burst out into applause at the site. **"Finally! Maybe now Josh will stop being such a pain." **This coming from Matt. Always the jokester.

Cadence was in the seat by the window, crushed against it with the two guys in the back seat, but she didn't care. Josh was all that she could see, and that was perfectly fine with her. He was all she ever wanted to see. As much as she had just met him only a couple of months ago, it felt like she had known him for years. Through his music. It still stunned her that she was sitting there, Josh all over her the closer that they got to the airport. Things like this didn't happen to girls like her.

Once they reached the airport, though, the high that she had been feeling quickly dissipated to one of despair. She didn't want to go back. But then, she couldn't just uproot her life and move to Canada. That wasn't even a thought that she should be having! But there it was, cropping up in her mind when it had no right to. At the terminal, Josh stopped her and wrapped her up in a big hug, her face pressed into his neck and all she could smell was _him. _She gripped him as tightly as he was gripping her, and when he pulled away and kissed her one more time, she almost cried. She was going to do the whole long distance thing, because that was all she could do. But this right now? This sucked.

"**I'd upgrade to a calling plan that includes Canada." **She couldn't help the smiled that came up on her face when he whispered that into her ears and she kissed his cheek. **"Done."** He finally released her, and with one more look back, she turned and walked into the terminal.


End file.
